Department for Transport

Poverty

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to encourage the wider use of lane rental schemes, as introduced in London in 2012.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Buscombe on 13 July (HL Deb, cols 1296–98), what emphasis they place on the prevention of poverty; and how they are working to ensure that the prevention of poverty is prioritised by every Department.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of (1) children, (2) adults, and (3) working families, living in poverty across the United Kingdom; and what long-term plan they have to prevent such poverty.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Buscombe on 13 July (HL Deb, cols 1296–98), what emphasis they place on the prevention of poverty; and how they are working to ensure that the prevention of poverty is prioritised by every Department.

baroness buscombe: The most commonly used measure of poverty is relative low income. The latest statistics from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data series show that there are: 2.7 million children, 5.7 million working-age adults, and 2.1 million pensioners in relative low income in the United Kingdom on a ‘before housing costs’ (BHC) basis.Analysis of the HBAI data shows that there are 2.1 million families in relative low income BHC where at least one adult member works at least part-time.This Government is committed to tackling the root causes of poverty, thereby preventing the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage. This is why we repealed the income-related targets set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010 and replaced them with statutory measures that drive action on parental worklessness and children’s educational attainment – the two areas that we know can make the biggest difference to disadvantaged children, now and in the future. The Department for Work and Pensions published Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families in April 2017. Here we set out further non-statutory indicators on a wider set of parental disadvantage and children’s outcomes, which will drive collective action on areas that matter in tackling disadvantage.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Human Trafficking: Children

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the rainbow flag will be flown over the British Embassy in Turkey over the weekend commencing 24 June.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), to what extent the training for foster carers and support workers commissioned from the Refugee Council and End Child Prostitution and Trafficking addresses (1) the indicators of modern slavery, and (2) particular risks and needs of children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), in which local authorities was training given to foster carersand support workers by the Refugee Council and ECPAT to help those carers and workers care for unaccompanied asylum-seeker or refugee children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), what plans they have to commission further training for foster carers and support workers to assist those carers and workers to care for children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that children who may have been victims of modern slavery are placed with foster carers orsupport workers who have received specific training on how to care for such children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government when they will publish updated guidance on (1) safeguarding children who may have been trafficked, and (2) care of unaccompanied and trafficked children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), to what extent the training for foster carers and support workers commissioned from the Refugee Council and End Child Prostitution and Trafficking addresses (1) the indicators of modern slavery, and (2) particular risks and needs of children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), in which local authorities was training given to foster carersand support workers by the Refugee Council and ECPAT to help those carers and workers care for unaccompanied asylum-seeker or refugee children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), what plans they have to commission further training for foster carers and support workers to assist those carers and workers to care for children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that children who may have been victims of modern slavery are placed with foster carers orsupport workers who have received specific training on how to care for such children.

lord nash: There are no plans to update the practice guidance ‘Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked’. The revised statutory guidance ‘The care of unaccompanied asylum seeking and trafficked children’ will be published this autumn.The training for foster carers and support workers that DfE commissioned from the Refugee Council and ECPAT enables those caring for unaccompanied and trafficked children to understand the challenges and risks facing these children, and equips participants with the knowledge and tools to respond effectively to their needs. Participants were also provided with access to an e-learning course to help recognise the needs of child and adult victims of trafficking and guidance on actions carers and professionals should take to identify and safeguard victims.Foster carers and support workers attended training courses located in 48 local authorities (see list below). Training was not limited to carers from those authorities.The forthcoming safeguarding strategy for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children will address the need for any additional training required by foster carers and support workers to care for children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.Further to the training which has recently commissioned, the statutory guidance on ‘The care of unaccompanied asylum seeking and trafficked children’ states that “Everyone involved in the care of unaccompanied and trafficked children should be trained to recognise and understand the particular issues likely to be faced by these children. This includes recognising the indicators of trafficking as a child’s previous history or current experience of being trafficked might not be apparent on entering care."List of local authorities where the training by ECPAT and Refugee Council was located:BoltonBournemouthBristolBromleyCambridgeshireCamdenCheshire EastCornwallCoventryCroydonDerbyshireDevonDoncasterEast RidingEssexGloucestershireHampshireHaringeyHarrowHertfordshireKentLambethLancashireLeedsLeicester CityLeicestershireLiverpoolManchesterMedwayMertonMiddlesbroughNorth SomersetNorth TynesideNorthumberlandNottingham CityOldhamSheffieldShropshireSomersetStaffordshireSuffolkSunderlandThurrockWalsallWarringtonWest SussexWiltshireWorcestershire

Department for Education

School Libraries

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish their care leaver covenant.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government how many, and what proportion of, schools in the UK have a library; and how they assess the quality of such libraries and their staff.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that every school has an adequate library with qualified staff.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government how many, and what proportion of, schools in the UK have a library; and how they assess the quality of such libraries and their staff.

lord nash: School libraries play an important role in encouraging pupils to read for pleasure. We believe that it should be for schools to decide whether to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils.Head teachers do recognise the role libraries can play in improving young people’s literacy, and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided. It is also up to schools to decide how they run their library. While many head teachers, especially those in secondary schools, choose to employ a qualified librarian, this is not a statutory requirement.We do not collect data on school library provision. However, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) indicated in 2011 that 92% of pupils in Year 5 in England were attending a school where there was a library. This was above the international average of 86%.

*No heading*

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government when they will publish updated guidance on (1) safeguarding children who may have been trafficked, and (2) care of unaccompanied and trafficked children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government when they will publish updated guidance on (1) safeguarding children who may have been trafficked, and (2) care of unaccompanied and trafficked children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), to what extent the training for foster carers and support workers commissioned from the Refugee Council and End Child Prostitution and Trafficking addresses (1) the indicators of modern slavery, and (2) particular risks and needs of children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), in which local authorities was training given to foster carersand support workers by the Refugee Council and ECPAT to help those carers and workers care for unaccompanied asylum-seeker or refugee children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), what plans they have to commission further training for foster carers and support workers to assist those carers and workers to care for children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that children who may have been victims of modern slavery are placed with foster carers orsupport workers who have received specific training on how to care for such children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), to what extent the training for foster carers and support workers commissioned from the Refugee Council and End Child Prostitution and Trafficking addresses (1) the indicators of modern slavery, and (2) particular risks and needs of children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), in which local authorities was training given to foster carersand support workers by the Refugee Council and ECPAT to help those carers and workers care for unaccompanied asylum-seeker or refugee children.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL4582), what plans they have to commission further training for foster carers and support workers to assist those carers and workers to care for children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

lord mccoll of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that children who may have been victims of modern slavery are placed with foster carers orsupport workers who have received specific training on how to care for such children.

lord nash: There are no plans to update the practice guidance ‘Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked’. The revised statutory guidance ‘The care of unaccompanied asylum seeking and trafficked children’ will be published this autumn.The training for foster carers and support workers that DfE commissioned from the Refugee Council and ECPAT enables those caring for unaccompanied and trafficked children to understand the challenges and risks facing these children, and equips participants with the knowledge and tools to respond effectively to their needs. Participants were also provided with access to an e-learning course to help recognise the needs of child and adult victims of trafficking and guidance on actions carers and professionals should take to identify and safeguard victims.Foster carers and support workers attended training courses located in 48 local authorities (see list below). Training was not limited to carers from those authorities.The forthcoming safeguarding strategy for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children will address the need for any additional training required by foster carers and support workers to care for children who are, or might be, victims of human trafficking and exploitation.Further to the training which has recently commissioned, the statutory guidance on ‘The care of unaccompanied asylum seeking and trafficked children’ states that “Everyone involved in the care of unaccompanied and trafficked children should be trained to recognise and understand the particular issues likely to be faced by these children. This includes recognising the indicators of trafficking as a child’s previous history or current experience of being trafficked might not be apparent on entering care."List of local authorities where the training by ECPAT and Refugee Council was located:BoltonBournemouthBristolBromleyCambridgeshireCamdenCheshire EastCornwallCoventryCroydonDerbyshireDevonDoncasterEast RidingEssexGloucestershireHampshireHaringeyHarrowHertfordshireKentLambethLancashireLeedsLeicester CityLeicestershireLiverpoolManchesterMedwayMertonMiddlesbroughNorth SomersetNorth TynesideNorthumberlandNottingham CityOldhamSheffieldShropshireSomersetStaffordshireSuffolkSunderlandThurrockWalsallWarringtonWest SussexWiltshireWorcestershire

*No heading*

lord watson of invergowrie: Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement of additional resources for services for vulnerable children and families through the Children's Social Care Innovation Programme, what additional amounts will be allocated to (1) each of the Partners in Practice local authorities, and (2) Spring Consortium, to facilitate and monitor the activities of Partners in Practice, for each of the years (a) 2016–17, (b) 2017–18, and (c) 2018–19.

lord nash: Since the announcement of the Partners in Practice programme in 2016, no additional funding has been allocated to the Partners in Practice local authorities. The Partners in Practice programme aims to model excellence in children’s social care and increase capacity in the sector to drive improvement. An independent evaluation of the programme is currently underway. This evaluation will provide the Department with a robust mechanism for measuring the impact of the projects and the conditions required for change. It will also enable the Department to share insights and learning with the sector to achieve wider reform. The Spring Consortium is contracted by the Department to support the delivery of the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme. While this includes providing some support to deliver the Partners in Practice programme, no specific amount of funding has been ring-fenced for this purpose.

*No heading*

baroness healy of primrose hill: Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to audit the training given to teachers on how to administer adrenaline and handle severe allergic reactions in children.

lord nash: We know how important it is that children with allergies and other medical conditions are supported to enjoy a full education. That is why we introduced a new duty to require governing bodies to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions, and have provided statutory guidance outlining schools’ responsibilities in this area. To provide specific support for pupils with allergies, we are working with the Department of Health to develop new guidance on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools. This follows the recent publication of the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017, which allow schools to hold spare adrenaline auto injectors, without a prescription, for use in emergencies. The revised regulations will come into effect on 1 October 2017.

*No heading*

lord storey: Her Majesty's Government what is the cost of training a teacher through (1) Teach First, (2) School Direct, and (3) initial teacher training courses.

lord nash: Comparing the costs of different routes through initial teacher training is complex; these vary significantly by subject and degree class due to different bursary rates. School Direct Salaried and Teach First trainees do not receive a bursary. The NAO report, Training New Teachers (10 February 2016) looked at average costs for academic year 2013/14; this is the latest available comparison of teacher training costs by route. The cost of training a new teacher through each of these routes is listed below:Teacher training routeCost of training per traineeTeach First£36,000School Direct (salary)£20,000School Direct (fee)£20,000School-centred provider£21,000Higher education institute£19,000  Since these figures were published, the Department has procured a new contract with Teach First, with a reduced average cost per trainee. Please see the table below showing the bursaries available for the 2017/18 training year indicating the scale of difference across subjects and degree class. The cost for trainees on salaried routes will also vary by location to reflect salary differences between London and elsewhere. In addition, the Teach First cost includes recruitment costs (£2,600 per trainee).Bursary rates for 2017/18: Scholarship1st2.12.2OtherPrimary £3,000£0£0£0Primary maths £6,000£6,000£6,000£0Art & Design £0£0£0£0Biology £15,000£12,000£10,000£0Business studies £0£0£0£0Chemistry£27,500£25,000£20,000£20,000£0Classics £25,000£25,000£25,000£0Computing£27,500£25,000£25,000£25,000£0D&T £12,000£9,000£0£0Drama £0£0£0£0English £9,000£9,000£0£0Geography£27,500£25,000£25,000£25,000£0History £9,000£4,000£0£0Maths£27,500£25,000£25,000£25,000£0MFL£27,500£25,000£25,000£25,000£0Music £9,000£4,000£0£0Others £0£0£0£0PE £0£0£0£0Physics£30,000£30,000£25,000£25,000£0RE £9,000£4,000£0£0

*No heading*

lord storey: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for using any underspend on theSixth Form College budget.

lord nash: Budgets for sixth form colleges are not set separately from budgets for other providers. The overall 16-19 budget set for each financial year is a forecast of anticipated spend. Actual spend varies from this because it is based on set funding rates per student. If actual student numbers are lower than forecast, the department works in conjunction with the Treasury to try to reallocate any underspends to other priorities in a way that maximises value for money. This could include a proposal to redeploy the funding to the next financial year. If alternative value for money activities cannot be identified, the funding is returned to the Treasury to support the overall fiscal position.

*No heading*

lord storey: Her Majesty's Government what requirements apply to the setting up of a teacher supply agency; and how such agencies are regulated.

lord nash: The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 govern the setting up of a teacher supply agency. There have been some updates but this is the premise of the regulations. Enforcement lies with the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS). The EAS is the body that polices the Conduct Regulations, which can impose heavy fines on agencies that do not comply with the rules and may stop them from trading. If it is clear that an agency is in breach of the regulations then the EAS should be contacted immediately.

*No heading*

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that every school has an adequate library with qualified staff.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that every school has an adequate library with qualified staff.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government how many, and what proportion of, schools in the UK have a library; and how they assess the quality of such libraries and their staff.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government how many, and what proportion of, schools in the UK have a library; and how they assess the quality of such libraries and their staff.

lord nash: School libraries play an important role in encouraging pupils to read for pleasure. We believe that it should be for schools to decide whether to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils.Head teachers do recognise the role libraries can play in improving young people’s literacy, and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided. It is also up to schools to decide how they run their library. While many head teachers, especially those in secondary schools, choose to employ a qualified librarian, this is not a statutory requirement.We do not collect data on school library provision. However, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) indicated in 2011 that 92% of pupils in Year 5 in England were attending a school where there was a library. This was above the international average of 86%.

Pupils: Health

lord moynihan: Her Majesty's Government what consultation the Department for Education held with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the decision to cut the Healthy Pupils Capital Programme.

lord moynihan: Her Majesty's Government, following the decision to cut the Healthy Pupils Capital Programme, what additional resources, if any,they will makeavailable for schools to invest in after-school sports clubs and sports facilities.

lord nash: Officials from DfE and DCMS work together closely across a number of programmes to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to lead healthy, active lives. As announced by the Secretary of State on 17 July, £100m of Healthy Pupils Capital Funding will be used to pay for facilities to support PE, after school activities and healthy eating. In addition, the Primary PE and School Sport Premium will be doubled to £320m a year from September 2017. The premium funds additional and sustainable improvements to the provision of PE and sport in primary schools to encourage the development of healthy, active lifestyles. The Department allocates around £1.2bn per year of capital funding directly to schools and their responsible bodies for them to invest in maintaining and improving their school buildings and facilities. They can decide how funding is spent, and if they wish they can of course target sports facilities where they are the local priority.

Horticulture: Education

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government whetherthey intend to promote the benefits of horticulture and gardening-based social activities (1) nationally, and (2) in schools and colleges, including as part of any reforms to the national curriculum; and if so, how.

lord nash: Almost all primary schools in England offer gardening based activities in one form or another. In primary, the National Curriculum for science sets out that pupils must be taught to identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including trees. It also recommends that schools should use the local environment throughout the year to explore and answer questions about plants growing in their habitat. We have no plans to make changes to the National Curriculum, or to promote any specific subject. The Royal Horticultural Society, however, does great work to promote gardening in schools. Their campaign provides free resources to inspire and support schools to provide children with gardening opportunities.

Apprentices

lord jones: Her Majesty's Government how many apprenticeships there are in England.

lord jones: Her Majesty's Government what is the gender balance of those undertaking apprenticeships in England.

lord nash: This information about apprenticeships and their demographics is published for England in the further education and skills statistical first release. The information can be found in the main tables 2 and 6 (2015 to 2016 academic year), and 21 (2016 to 2017 academic year reported to date). The latest publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-and-skills-july-2017. Previous and future publications are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/further-education-and-skills-statistical-first-release-sfr.

Students: Loans

baroness wolf of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government how much money was advanced in total for Advanced Learner Loans in 2015–16.

lord nash: The total outlay for new and continuing learners funded by an Advanced Learner Loan in the 2015-16 financial year was £162.1 million.

Students: Loans

baroness wolf of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government how much money was advanced for Advanced Learner Loans in relation to qualifications at Level 4 or higher in 2015–16.

lord nash: The total outlay for new and continuing learners funded by an Advanced Learner Loan for eligible qualifications at Level 4 or higher in the 2015-16 financial year was £8.625 million.

Students: Loans

baroness wolf of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government, how much money was advanced for Advanced Learner Loans in the first six months offinancial year2016–17.

lord nash: The total outlay for new and continuing learners funded by an Advanced Learner Loan in the first six months of the 2016-17 financial year was £90.9 million.

Students: Loans

baroness wolf of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government how much money wasadvanced for Advanced Learner Loans in 2016–17.

lord nash: The total outlay for new and continuing learners funded by an Advanced Learner Loan in the 2016-17 financial year was £236.3 million.

Students: Loans

baroness wolf of dulwich: Her Majesty's Government how much of the Department for Education budget was allocated for Advanced Learner Loans in 2016–17.

lord nash: In the annual Skills Funding Letter 2016-17, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills set out an Advanced Learner Loans outlay budget to the Skills Funding Agency of £260 million.

Ministry of Justice

The Lord Chairman of Committees

Department for Work and Pensions

*No heading*

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of (1) children, (2) adults, and (3) working families, living in poverty across the United Kingdom; and what long-term plan they have to prevent such poverty.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of (1) children, (2) adults, and (3) working families, living in poverty across the United Kingdom; and what long-term plan they have to prevent such poverty.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Buscombe on 13 July (HL Deb, cols 1296–98), what emphasis they place on the prevention of poverty; and how they are working to ensure that the prevention of poverty is prioritised by every Department.

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Buscombe on 13 July (HL Deb, cols 1296–98), what emphasis they place on the prevention of poverty; and how they are working to ensure that the prevention of poverty is prioritised by every Department.

baroness buscombe: The most commonly used measure of poverty is relative low income. The latest statistics from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data series show that there are: 2.7 million children, 5.7 million working-age adults, and 2.1 million pensioners in relative low income in the United Kingdom on a ‘before housing costs’ (BHC) basis.Analysis of the HBAI data shows that there are 2.1 million families in relative low income BHC where at least one adult member works at least part-time.This Government is committed to tackling the root causes of poverty, thereby preventing the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage. This is why we repealed the income-related targets set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010 and replaced them with statutory measures that drive action on parental worklessness and children’s educational attainment – the two areas that we know can make the biggest difference to disadvantaged children, now and in the future. The Department for Work and Pensions published Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families in April 2017. Here we set out further non-statutory indicators on a wider set of parental disadvantage and children’s outcomes, which will drive collective action on areas that matter in tackling disadvantage.

*No heading*

baroness jolly: Her Majesty's Government what is the budget for the Health and Safety Executive for 2017–18; how many inspectors it expects to employ in 2017–18; and how many inspectors it employed in each of the last five years.

baroness buscombe: HSE’s net budget for 2017-18 is £136 million (which includes planned expenditure of £232 million, offset by planned income of £96 million). During 2017-18 we are seeking to maintain inspector numbers at or around the level as at 31 March 2017 which is stated below, along with the four previous years. Number of HSE inspectors at 31 March31 March 201331 March 201431 March 201531 March 201631 March 20171,1151,0511,0381,037988

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

*No heading*

lord patten: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 5 July (HL147), how many incursions by vessels they have recorded; and what nationalities are represented.

lord gardiner of kimble: Within the Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) current by-law areas there have been 6 incursions which have resulted in further investigation. The vessel nationalities were English and French.

*No heading*

baroness young of old scone: Her Majesty's Government which EU-based environmental legislation and regulations will be transposed into UK law through the European Union (Withdrawal) Act, (1) without change, (2) with minor changes to enable operability, and (3) with substantial changes requiring secondary legislation to ensure operability.

lord gardiner of kimble: The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill ensures, so far as possible, that the same rules and laws will apply on the day after exit as on the day before.All Government Departments are currently reviewing the EU laws that apply in their policy areas and how our withdrawal from the EU will affect the operation of those laws.Where laws need to be fixed, the Government will ensure this is done. There are decades of EU law to consider, and we must ensure our statute book works on exit and that we provide the maximum possible certainty for individuals and businesses as we leave the EU.This Government is committed to be the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than we inherited it. Leaving the EU means we now have a unique opportunity to design a set of policies to drive environmental improvement with a powerful and permanent impact, tailored to the needs of our country. This will make sure we can create a healthy environment and strong economy – and delivering on our commitment to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

Animals: Exports

baroness redfern: Her Majesty's Government what welfare measures they are taking to reduce or eliminate the export of live animalsfromthe UK.

lord gardiner of kimble: Once we leave the European Union, and in line with our manifesto commitment, we can take early steps to control the export of live farm animals for slaughter. We are considering all options.

Home Office

HM Treasury

*No heading*

baroness grender: Her Majesty's Government why parents who submit an online application for 30 hours free childcare to the Department for Education website are sent a holding response.

baroness grender: Her Majesty's Government, following submission of an application to receive 30 hours free childcare, how long the Department for Education takes to respond to parents confirming their eligibility.

baroness grender: Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the accessibility of the online process to register for 30 hours of free childcare; and if so, when that review will take place.

lord bates: To be eligible for 30 hours free childcare parents must meet certain criteria which are checked before a parent is given a decision. The majority of these checks happen in real time. There are some cases where additional checks may be required. As with all digital services, the childcare service is continually monitored and performance is assessed. Updates are made regularly as a result of these assessments.

*No heading*

lord lansley: Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances a Government financial guarantee to a capital investment project will lead to the definition of expenditure on that project being classified as public expenditure.

lord bates: If a capital investment project involves both the private sector and the public sector, an assessment is required to determine the level of government intervention in a project. This will also determine whether government is bearing a majority of the risks and rewards associated with the project and therefore incurring public expenditure for the capital investment of the project. The assessment would be made by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) using the national accounts conceptual framework, the European system of national and regional accounts in the European Union (ESA10)[1] enforceable EU Regulation No. 549/2013 and associated guidance in the Manual on Government Deficit and Debt[2] and a guide to the Statistical Treatment of PPPs[3] published by Eurostat.  [1] http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/metadata/Annexes/nasa_10_f_esms_an1.pdf[2] http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3859598/7203647/KS-GQ-16-001-EN-N.pdf/5cfae6dd-29d8-4487-80ac-37f76cd1f012[3] http://www.eib.org/epec/resources/publications/epec_eurostat_guide_ppp

*No heading*

lord mendelsohn: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve small and medium-sized enterprises’ access to redress and compensation from banks; and what assessment they have made of the recommendation by the BankingFutures initiative to expand the remit of the Financial Ombudsman to widen support for SMEs.

lord bates: The Government will consider the issue of small and medium-sized enterprises’ access to redress and compensation from banks when the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) publishes its feedback statement on its discussion paper on SMEs as users of financial services. The remit of the Financial Ombudsman Service is a matter for the FCA. In April, the FCA published feedback to the consultation on their Mission Statement. In this they committed to consult on widening the remit of the Financial Ombudsman Service. They will do so shortly, using a formal consultation alongside its feedback on its SME discussion paper.

*No heading*

lord birt: Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility that the UK's public finances are ill-positioned to withstand (1) a possible recession, (2) higher inflation, and (3) an increase in interest rates.

lord bates: The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) Fiscal Risks Report demonstrates that the public finances remain vulnerable to shocks. To enhance our resilience to such shocks it is vital that we get debt falling. To this end, we remain committed to bringing the public finances back to balance by the mid-2020s, with interim targets to reduce the structural deficit below 2% of GDP and get debt falling as a share of GDP by 2020-21. The government continues to consider carefully the findings within the OBR’s report. As required under the Charter for Budget Responsibility, the government will formally respond to the issues raised within the next year.

*No heading*

lord empey: Her Majesty's Government what are the sources of funds for the additional £1 billon investment announced for Northern Ireland in June.

lord bates: The Government routinely makes adjustments to public spending throughout the year and will deal with the cost of additional resources for the Northern Ireland Executive within our overall plans in this way.

*No heading*

lord empey: Her Majesty's Government what were the volumes and nature of smuggled goods seized along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the last five years for which figures are available; and what estimate they have made of the amount of duty evaded.

lord bates: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) records statistics for smuggling seized goods does not have that level of detail required to answer. Therefore without referencing individual cases it is not possible to identify which ones involved smuggling.

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lord empey: Her Majesty's Government how many convictions there were of persons charged with smuggling offences along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for the last two years for which figures are available.

lord bates: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) records statistics for smuggling offences does not have that level of detail required to answer. Therefore without referencing individual cases it is not possible to identify which ones involved smuggling.

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lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what progress have they made in reducing the national debt.

lord bates: In 2010 the government inherited the largest deficit since the Second World War at 9.9% of GDP in 2009-10. Since then the government has reduced the deficit by three quarters to 2.4% of GDP last year. Without this reduction the level of debt would be even higher than its level of 86.8% of GDP at the end of March 2017. The government has committed to ensure Public Sector Net Debt as a share of GDP is falling in 2020-21. In their March 2017 forecast the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast that the government will meet this target two years early in 2018-19.

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lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to engage with the European Parliament's inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion.

lord bates: The Government has engaged constructively with the European Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion‎. In February 2017, the previous Financial Secretary to the Treasury and the previous Economic Secretary to the Treasury wrote to the Chair of the European Parliament to set out the extensive recent steps the UK had taken in these areas. In the same month, Members of the Committee visited London and met with senior officials from the UK's cross-agency Panama Papers Taskforce to discuss their important work.

Overseas Loans: Republic of Ireland

lord laird: Her Majesty's Government how much the Republic of Ireland owes the UK relating to the £338 million loan provided following the financial crisis; and what are the arrangements for repayment.

lord bates: I refer the noble Lord to the most recent statutory report which the Treasury provided to Parliament as required by Section 2 of the Loans to Ireland Act 2010. The last report was laid in Parliament on 18 April 2017 and is available in the Printed Paper Office. The timetable for repayment set out in this report remains unchanged.

Department for International Trade

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lord adonis: Her Majesty's Government how many civil servants at the Department for International Trade have undertaken training in negotiating skills; and how much has been budgeted in 2017–18 for further such training.

lord price: Training on trade policy and trade negotiations is provided predominately by the Trade Policy and Negotiations Faculty. The role of the Faculty is to build trade policy and negotiations capability in Departments across Her Majesty's Government. To date over 200 DIT staff have undertaken trade policy training offered by the Trade Faculty or organised directly by DIT. The Faculty has a training budget of c. £1,600,000 for 2017-18, which will cover training on a range of trade policy topics and negotiations. DIT’s Trade Policy Group has a training budget of c.£900,000 for 2017-18; this budget covers a range of learning and development, including but not limited to trade policy and negotiations.

Department of Health